Andrew Hwang 3/13/11 P3 AIDS Epidemic

About 1 in every 200 people all around the world are infected with AIDS virus which means roughly 33 million people live in fear of this deadly virus. Can you believe that? Well the Death toll from AIDS is rising worldwide along with an increasing number of HIV/AIDS infections every year. AIDS can spread in a variety of ways including unprotected sex, sharing needles and syringes, mother to child, accidental needle sticks, and blood transfusions. There is no easy solution to stopping the spread of this deadly disease but there are many ways of reducing the risk of obtaining HIV/AIDS such as keeping sanitary, using condoms, and simply being careful. We need to stop the spread of this virus today. One of the causes for the spreading of AIDS is unprotected sex and it is the most common way it transfers from person to person. Most of this happens due to prostitution which is the leading cause of HIV/AIDS in undeveloped Asian and African countries. Sharing Needles and syringes also have its downside. Illegal drug use has already been a problem worldwide but another problem that comes with it is when sharing used needles and syringes. The used needles and syringes will have leftover droplets of blood left on the needle that can be inserted directly into the blood stream of the next user. This will allow the AIDS virus to easily be spread because it is on direct contact. Spreading AIDS from mother to child is also a possible way of this virus to spread. While the baby is being delivered it is exposed to the mothers blood and body fluids directly. Even if the baby manages to not become infected through birth there is also a possibility that the AIDS virus will carry on through breast feeding. There have been traces of the virus inside breast milk of those individuals already contaminated with HIV. People working in the

medical field are at a great risk of contracting HIV/AIDS because of the amount of exposure they have towards bodily fluids of other people. Accidental needle sticks can occur when the doctor is drawing blood for a test or working with needles then accidentally comes in contact with the needle. Finally another way for this deadly virus to be transmitted is through blood transfusions. Although this is very rare it still accounts to a large number of AIDS infections. If a blood donator has HIV/AIDS but is unaware they can accidentally give the virus to the people receiving the donated blood. These are the most common causes of transmitting HIV/AIDS to other people. The effects of HIV/AIDS can be absolutely devastating leaving many families with lost loved ones. Spreading of this disease may also increase as more and more people become infected with the AIDS virus every year. About 33 million people are currently affected with the AIDS virus and the number of new infections continues to grow but the people already affected will begin to decline because of a large amount of deaths. Another effect of HIV/AIDS is the large amounts of death. A common household can be torn apart through AIDS when a parent is lost so the children have to be sent away to relatives houses. These relatives must now pay and earn more money to support these children which can tie in with the economical issues. Onefourth of households where a parent dies of AIDS in Africa usually disband following the death due to economical issues. Now these children with dead parents are unable to receive nutrition, basic health care, housing, and clothing. But these children can also go to an orphanage. Most of this happens more frequently in Africa then in any other continent. AIDS also plays a large role in the economy. Debt in the now devastated household will continue to rise due to funeral and medical costs. With a parent gone there is a loss of income, extra Medicare expenses and mounting medical fees which send the household farther and deeper into poverty. It is estimated

on average that HIV/AIDS related care can take away one-third of a households monthly income. As the debt builds up the chances of recovering economically decrease. The majority of people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa are around the ages of 15 and 49 which is the prime age when people do most of their working. With the death of most of these people jobs are dramatically affected creating a setback in economic and social progress. Government income is also affected as it declines, tax revenues fall and governments must increase their spending to manage the expanding AIDS epidemic. Through these tough times there are always solutions still to the causes of AIDS. Spreading through unprotected sex can be prevented by using condoms which will greatly improve your chances of not contracting HIV/AIDS. Another option is Abstinence which would certainly prevent getting HIV/AIDS. Education people in practicing safe sex could reduce the amount and learning the ABCs which mean Abstinence, Be faithful, and use Condoms. This significantly decreased the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Africa. Also you should stay away from prostitutes unless you bring a condom or if they supply you with a condom. When sharing needles and syringes you should make sure to clean out the needle first before use and to stay sanitary and clean any used tool to be certain of not contracting the virus. During a babys delivery, when giving birth, you can decrease the chances of giving HIV/AIDS by getting what is known as a Cesarean childbirth. A Cesarean childbirth is an operation to deliver a baby by creating an incision in the abdomen to remove the baby. A solution to breast feeding is to bottle feed rather than breast feeding as this prevents contact from the breast milk containing the HIV/AIDS virus. You can prevent accidental needle sticks by simply following the precautions given to you in the medical facility. This will lower the chances of accidentally getting poked by the bloody needle stick. You should also always stay alert and be careful when operating. By

setting regulations and a series of tests for the blood donor you can decrease the risk greatly of transmitting AIDS in blood transfusions. Although the death toll from AIDS is rising worldwide and the number of HIV/AIDS infections are increasing every year we can control the spreading of AIDS only if each and every one of us strives to make a difference. And remember, you must stay away from prostitutes unless there is a condom available at the time.

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